The following will discuss some instances where cows play a role in religious traditions and symbolism.

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Hindu Tradition

Cows are revered as a sacred animal within the Hindu religion of India. It is seen as a source of food and the symbol of life (and thus should never be killed). It should be noted that the cow is not worshiped within the religion itself, but rather is considered to be a taboo animal. In other words an animal that should be treated with respect, and not killed.

They cow appears numerous times within the scriptures of Vedic. The cow is often viewed as a mother because of the milk it provides. Some stories in which the cow appears include the major deities of Krishna and Shiva. In the case of Krishna it is said this deity was brought up in a family of cowherders. In the case of Shiva, this deity is said to ride on the back of a bull.

Although some Hindus do eat meet, most abstain from the consumption of beef, due to the traditional sacredness of cattle.

Information for this section was gather from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cattle#Religion.2C_traditions_and_folklore

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Other Traditions

Some other traditions where cattle plays a significant role are listed below:

Chinese Zodiac:

• The ox is one of the 12-year cycle of animals that appear in the Chinese Zodiac.

Zoroastrianism:

• This religion is related to the belief of Hinduism.
• The spirit of the cow is seen as the spirit of the earth, and thus a symbol of respect.

Ancient Egypt:

• Although animals were often sacrificed in ancient Egypt, cows were not because they were seen as sacred to the deity of Hathor.
• Hathor - was a diety who had the form of a cow.

Futher information can be gathered from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cattle_in_religion